Consumption
by Medantha
Summary: Arthur/Dark Merlin. What if Uther is right and all magic is evil? The power within Merlin grows insufferably, and he is consumed by the darkness within him. He loves Arthur but will that love be strong enough to save him from himself.
1. Chapter 1

What if Uther is right and all magic is evil? The power within Merlin grows insufferably, and he is consumed by the darkness within him. He loves Arthur but will that love be strong enough to save him from himself.

Merlin approached Arthur as he sat eating dinner in his chambers. "How is your dinner, sire, "he inquired respectfully.

"It's fine, but perhaps you could tell me what is going on with you lately." He quirked an eyebrow at Merlin.

"What do you mean, Sire?"

"That! You haven't called me a prat in nearly a week! Honestly, it's kinda weird. Also, I've seen you walking about the courtyard at night. It's suspicous. I wonder, what secret could Merlin possibly be keeping from _me_?" He motioned dramatically to himself.

"No secret's," he said quickly, too quickly but Arthur hardly noticed. His trust in his servant was insurmountable. The prince couldn't imagine not knowing something about Merlin; he felt he knew him inside and out.

The truth was that the prince didn't know Merlin inside and out. Merlin's powers were only one of the few secrets that the prince was not privy to. There was also that over-powering love that swelled in his chest whenever he thought of Arthur, and there was another.

Merlin wasn't sure if it was something to worry about or not, but every few nights or so, he would fall asleep with thoughts of Arthur, imagining what his body would feel pressed up against his and all the things he wanted to do to him. But, once sleep hit, he would be thrown into dreams...no, nightmares of destruction. Trees fell, fires burned brightly, and darkness would rule in these nightmares. The worst part was that in the morning, Merlin would hear of this beast that rampaged through the woods and the outskirts of the lower village. Villagers brought news to the King of the beast breathing fire, uprooting trees, and destroying everything in the area of its attack. Thus far, no one had seen this beast.

He was almost sure that these attacks were caused by him sleep-attacking or something, because he was always tired even after long nights of sleep. He began to get dark circles under his eyes and his reactions were slowed. He felt weary and older, decades older, than he was. It hurt to keep these secrets from Arthur, but the prince was ordered to kill the creature responsible for the destruction. Not to mention the death sentence for anyone practicing magic. How could he tell him any of this?

Merlin watched Arthur's sinewy upper-half move wbout the bedroom complaining to Merlin about not having a clean shirt. He had been meaning to wash his clothes, but never got around to it.

"Merlin, I don't know what is wrong with you lately, but whatever it is, it's leaving me without a shirt. I suppose you'll have to explain to my father why I cannot leave my chambers until you clean my clothes."

"I'll go do that."

"Good and I'll just wander aimlessly around my bedroom until you return."

Merlin took a bucket of water and the clothes and brought them into an empty room. He shut the door and sat in a really comfortable chair in the corner of the room. He looked at the heap of clothes on the floor and tilted his head. Lifting his hand and murmuring a few words, the clothes abruptly began to wash themselves. Merlin smiled to himself and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to consume him.

Arthur walked down the hallway slowly, contemplating what he would say. He knew that something was up because Merlin had seemed...off. He didn't complain or give him a look or anything when Arthur asked him to go clean his clothes. He wanted Merlin to open up to him. They were friends, so he could tell him anything. Still debating how to best weed out whatever was up with Merlin while not appearing as worried as he really was, Arthur opened the door to the room and stopped dead in his tracks. There in the very center of the room was his clothes washing themselves.

"What the-" then he saw Merlin in the corner. "Merlin. Merlin!"

"Hmm," he replied in the fogginess of his nap. Then, his eyes shot open and the clothes fell where they were as he sprung from the chair, gaping, wide-eyed at Arthur's indignant expression.

"I can't believe it! You're with me nearly 24-7 and all this time, I never would have guessed that _you _were a sorceror! I let a sorceror live in the castle under my very nose!" His eyes widened further. "I trusted you."

"Arthur, I would never use magic for evil." Merlin begged. He couldn't bear another second of Arthur hating him.

"You know, I could actually believe that, but its the fact that you didn't tell me."

"So what, Arthur? You know me. Not everything about me, but you know the person that I am. After everything, there is no way that you could stand there and tell me how annoyed you are of not realizing earlier, and disappointed you are of me for something that I had no control over. I was born this way! There is nothing I can do about it."

"If you had told me, then perhaps I wouldn't have let myself..."

"Let yourself what? What are you talking about?" his heart leaped but he tried to squash his hope. There was no way that Arthur felt anything towards him except hatred right now.

"Nevermind." He turned his back to Merlin and took a deep breath in. He realized now that even though his was angry with Merlin, he still loved him. He could never turn him over to his father, but at the same time, Merlin could not continue living so close to the king. He was putting himself in danger just by stepping foot into the kingdom and there he was, in a chamber in the castle just down the hall from the crowned prince. There was no way for this to be able to stay a secret forever. He could not allow Merlin to risk his life any further. "You should leave."

"Okay," Merlin said, obediently rushing for the door.

"I don't just mean the room, Merlin." Arthur still faced away from him. Which was good because his face was void of emotion pushing away the pain he felt for pushing away Merlin.

"What? Arthur, no-"

"You have to leave. If anyone were to find out..."

"I'm not going to leave you!" Arthur turned slowly to face Merlin and look him dead in the eye. Merlin was internally shocked by how powerful those words sounded to him. He could never leave Arthur's side. The thought of it hurt too much. The pain mixed with the passionate resolve he felt gave him courage he probably would never have been able to tap into at any other time. "I love you," he confessed as the heat of the moment washed over him.

Arthur swiftly closed the space between them and pulled his face close, pressing Merlin's wet, pink lips to his. The kiss was long-lasted and filled with the strength of their emotions. It had promise in it. One of Arthur's hands dropped and keeping their foreheads together but seperating their lips so both could take a deep breath, there was a moment's pause before Merlin curled his hand behind Arthur's head and pulled him into another kiss. This one was sweet and passionate at the same time. Arthur's hands moved to Merlin's back pulling the rest of Merlin too close for even a breath of wind to pass through their two bodies.

Merlin thread his fingers through Arthur's smooth, blonde hair, while Arthur hand slipped beneath Merlin's shirt, anxious to stroke bare skin, particularily the skin of Merlin's lean stomach.

He felt into the groves of Merlin's abs and then wrapped it around to his back. Arthur ran his fingers up and down Merlin's spine sending jolts of pleasure through him. He gasped but Arthur lightly bit onto his bottom lip to keep him from pulling away from his lips. Merlin trailed his hands over Arthur's tight chest and down further to slide them under the edge of his shirt. It lifted slowly, as he felt the smooth skin beneath and let it bunch up at his wrists. Arthur let go of Merlin for a moment so he could pull the shirt over his head. When the shirt laid on the floor beside them, Arthur grasped Merlin and resumed his exploration of Merlin's mouth.

Arthur began the wandering of his hands over his annoyingly still covered stomach and over the curve of his ass. He gently grabbed at it and that put Merlin over the edge. He simply had to get those pants off of Arthur. It took two quick movements to get the royal breeches to hit the floor.

"Wow," Arthur said exasperated. "You're better at undressing me than you are at dressing me."

Merlin smiled devilishly. "Thank God for that." He took hold of Arthur's soft, plump lips with his own for a single passionate kiss before he moved his attention lower planting a fluttery kiss on his neck. He continued with these teasing kisses over to each of his shoulders, one on his nipple, three in a line down his stomach and one last one just above his cock. He stopped for a moment to admire the length and thickness of it before holding onto his hips and bringing his lips around it. Slowly at first, then working up to a steady pace, Merlin dragged his lips and tongue up and down the length of the prince's cock.

Arthur hadn't been sure what Merlin was planning to do, but when he found out, there was no chance of fighting it at that point. He allowed himself to just feel for the first time in his life. All pressures of being a prince were lifted, leaving Arthur feeling lighter than he had felt in a long time. He focused on the sensations that Merlin was stirring in him and not just the physical ones. It felt right to be with him in this way. They fit together, like two sides of the same coin. Suddenly, an overwhelming pleasure was taking control, and he wasn't sure it would be possible to hold out any longer. A moment later, he spilled into Merlin's mouth. He could hear a struggled swallowing sound and looked down to see Merlin smiling up at him.

They went back to kissing, and while he wanted to return the favour to Merlin, the kisses where sweeter than those before which were filled with arousal. Merlin decided that this was not the time. The prince had to show up at the King's side at some point today, and the last thing he wanted was for Arthur to get into trouble. They sat side by side, backs against the wall, fingers intertwined, and watched as the clothes started to clean themselves again.

"You surprise me sometimes, Merlin," he exasperated.

_Two secrets down; one to go, _he thought, wondering whether Arthur should ever know about the nightmares. "Honestly, I'm more surprised by you right now."He was referring to Arthur's reaction to everything. It was still unbelievable how things turned out.

"Well, although I don't want to think about the fact that you've been keeping secrets from me, I kind of understand why you couldn't tell me. Being the son of a king like Uther, it definitely has its down-side." He solemnly stroked Merlin's hand with his thumb, wrapped up in his thoughts.

"That's it though. You are so much different than him. You understand, and you're giving me the chance to prove to you that magic may not be as hopelessly evil as Uther believes. I think, you'll make a great king one day," he said, looking into Arthur's bright, blue eyes to accentuate his point.

Arthur stared back at Merlin with a hard, determined look. "When I am king, things will be different. You'll see."

Merlin was sure of that.


	2. Chapter 2

This is a sort chapter, but I needed a bridging chapter in order to bring the 'darker' side of Merlin back into frame. The first one was more about getting the main secrets out into the open and igniting the fire between Arthur and Merlin.

In the last chapter, Merlin's two secrets are discovered by Arthur. Arthur had been so elated that Merlin shared his feelings that he was very accepting of Merlin's magic. Unfortunately, the attacks continue with culprit yet unascertained and Uther grows desperate.

**Terra**

In a dark room, with two dark hooded men there was a turn in the tides.

One of the men had just walked through the tavern and into this inn room. The other greeted him coldy, "The great Uther Pendragon here, asking for my assistance. I knew you would come, that it was just a matter of time. And it seems, the time is now."

"So, you know why I'm here then? I suspect that these attacks are the work of a dark sorcerer, not a beast," Uther announced.

The other man nodded beneath his hood. There was a silence while both men were considering the situation. Then, the man spoke. "I will help you find the sorcerer, but there will be a price."

"Any amount, name your price," he said quickly. He expected the cost to be high. The witch-finder would have to do more than simply look around and ask some questions. He would have to fully investigate everyone and everything, and all of this, in secrecy.

"I have no need for gold. But, I could certainly use a new sword."

"I could have the blacksmith make you one. He is the best."

"No. There is only one sword that I will accept. It is a very good sword. Completely balanced. Impossibly sharp. Have you heard of this miraculous sword? You must have. You used such a sword to defeat a wraith in battle. Do you recall?"

"Yes, but why? What would a man like yourself do with such a sword. Besides, it had been made specifically for Arthur."

"That matters not."

"I will retrieve this sword for you, if it is the cost," Uther promised.

"Good, then I will begin with my work."

Uther recognized the dismissal and left. He had no second thoughts as he travelled back to the castle, where the dark sorcerer in question laid entangled in his son's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

This took me forever to write. I wanted the (M) rated scene to be different that last time, but I had no idea what to do. Eventually, I came up with this. I hope you enjoy it. Truth is, I didn't actually describe anything in this, Mostly because, I wanted them do more than just oral, but I don't quite feel comfortable writing that just yet. I'm not sure if I ever will. Anyway, I leave that part to your imagination, and I hope you enjoy it.

Between the last chapter and this one, some time has passed. The witch-finder has been searching out the sorcerer completely unnoticed. Arthur and Merlin have had regular rendezvous. This chapter will include a clearer glimpse of the dark side of Merlin which was the entire reason that I wanted to continue writing for this story. Enjoy! :)

**Aqua**

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When Uther entered his chambers, he noticed the letter addressed to him sitting at his writing desk. He opened the letter to find four words on the single page.

_I know who._

_Come._

He knew immediately that it was from the witchfinder. He didn't care how he had managed to do it without being seen at all, but he had discovered the sorcerer and was waiting at the inn for him to arrive. He grabbed his cloak and left as soon as possible.

In the dark room, Uther stood waiting impatiently for the witchfinder to speak.

"I find myself rather short on time. Have you not asked me to come here in order to reveal the sorcerer who is terrorizing my kingdom."

The witchfinder chuckled. It was an eerie sound as though it were rusty from underuse. "The servant boy, Merlin."

There was a quick silence before Uther asked, "What about him?"

He chuckled again at Uther's disbelief. "The servant boy is the sorcerer."

The witchfinder observed in the dim light the expression on Uther's face as the wheels began turning and tumbling in his brain. Innocent, wall flower, servant Merlin as a possessor of dark, powerful magic? It was a very hard concept to accept. That would be the problem with dealing with him. He would have to be exposed for anyone to believe it. But how?

"You'll need proof, and I have just the solution for you. But it'll cost ya," said the witchfinder, smiling in the dark.

"What is it?" Uther asked, intrigued.

"I have a liquid that, when drank, reveals a person's true identity. If the servant boy were to drink this, his magic would be released against his control, and his true nature would show."

"I'll take it," Uther declared.

The banquet was filled with people conversing loudly over their drinks. Musicians played a light tune in the background to keep the atmosphere. Uther split his time between speaking with King Feolan, who was visiting from a neighbouring kingdom and one of the few of his trusted people, and the rest of the time, he was watching Merlin. He would spot him out in the crowd, not that it was hard, he almost never left Arthur's side, and he would watch for any signs of his magic. He never had any slip ups before, but perhaps, he had simply not seen. Merlin had never been a priority in his mind before, but if he was the sorcerer responsible for the attacks and still Arthur's manservant, he was certainly a priority now.

He watched as a woman, a very pretty woman flirted with his son. He laughed but didn't seem interested in the slightest. Eventually, the woman gave up and moved to one of the knights. The king watched as Merlin whispered something into Arthur's ear and he laughed quietly. It was not a shame that Merlin turned out to be who he was, because Arthur had grown a friendship with the boy. He generally did not care who Arthur befriended, but he was beginning to forget his other friends among the knights. Arthur needed to be around men with more pride and strength.

Uther motioned to a servant girl who came to him immediately.

"Give this to Morgana's servant, Guinevere and tell her to give it to Merlin. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if she didn't know it was from me."

The servant girl took the cup and smiled, "Yes, sire."

He walked across the hall and gestured for Arthur to come with him. The stepped away from Merlin.

"Arthur, I'd like you to keep an eye on your servant, Merlin."

"Why?" Arthur's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"There is something about that boy. He seems sort of secretive. Just a precaution." The king left the hall before Arthur could question him anymore.

Gwen handed the cup to Merlin. "It's from that girl over there." She smiled knowingly.

"Really? That's very kind of her." He took a gulp from the cup. "Mmm." Then he turned his attention back to Arthur.

Arthur looked hard into Merlin's eyes. "We need to talk. Let's go."

Merlin chugged the cup to the bottom and followed him out of the hall.

In the solitarity of Arthur's chambers, they stood face-to-face. Merlin could see the seriousness in Arthur's eyes, and he felt as though a dark cloud had thrown its shadow on the room. The temperature seemed to drop about ten degrees, and there was a strange tingling in his fingertips.

"Merlin, he's suspicious. He came up to me and asked me to keep an eye on you."

The tingling sprouted from his fingertips and travelled through his hand and up to his wrists. Something wasn't right. "I'll just have to be careful."

"No, we have to do something about this. Something to move the focus off of you." Arthur put his hand on his chin and looked about the floor as though an answer would be found there.

"There's nothing we can do. We can only hope that he won't find out. I just need to-" He stopped when Arthur perked up with an idea.

"I need to find that beast. He would be more concerned about the destruction of the beast responsible for the attacks than watching you. Yes, I'll have to leave to hunt in the morning."

Merlin knew that it was time to tell Arthur that he thought it may be him doing the attacking. Perhaps he would understand. It's not his fault. He was probably doing it in his sleep. He just had to hope that Arthur would understand. "Arthur, I-" Merlin's mouth closed. It felt as though every one of his joints locked up at once. His entire body was tingling. There was an odd feeling of being separate from his body.

"Merlin?" asked Arthur cautiously. "What is it?"

In an instant, Merlin's eyes burned bright gold. The air stirred and things began to lift from the ground. The furniture was floating an inch above the floor. Books, papers, clothes, and anything loose flew around the room in a tornado forming on the ceiling directly above Merlin's head. The air howled loudly against their ears making Arthur's shouts distant and incomprehensible.

In his mind, images of a village in the night pierced Merlin's thoughts. Pain erupted with every image as though the thoughts were exploding from the deep recesses of his mind. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head at the temples, and his yells of pain lost among the sound of the wind which only grew louder.

They were vivid images showing a dark home. He could see sleeping forms inside through the window. There was an explosion that shattered the stone walls of the house. Screams of people awakening to the realization that they were trapped beneath the rubble of their home. Someone was calling out names in their fear for their family's lives. There was a flash and a whip of flame caught to the wreckage. There were more screams of agonizing pain as they were trapped in the fiery death trap made of their own home. A nearby tree caught the fire, and it spread rapidly to more trees. The sky was lost in a cloud of the thick black smoke. Orange and yellow light from the flames danced over the other houses. No one was able to wake in these homes, but they all rode the night mares of death and destruction.

Merlin was consumed by a new pain that dulled the one that burst throughout his head. This pain impaled his heart with the force of the suffering. His body stood back up against his will. A potent darkness roared in Merlin's chest, and his heart pounded heavily in his ears. The distant shouts from Arthur become loud murmuring as he felt his hands grasping for his arms. A powerful blast pulsated from Merlin, sending Arthur flying across the room. In Merlin's mind, he was screaming for it to stop, hoping desperately for Arthur to be okay, but his body was no longer his. The magic escaped him in bursts that bent the floor and walls in places. Furniture exploded around the room, sending splintered wood spiraling freely and widly thoughout the room.

Arthur groaned as he sat up from the ground. Merlin had lost control completely. He had been grabbing for Merlin, trying to get him to take back control, but he had been blasted from him and had hit the ground, hard. There had to be some way to get Merlin back. There was no way that he was doing this of his own accord. What had happened?

He pulled himself to his feet, fighting the ferocity of the wind. Dodging flying furniture, he slowly made his way to the center of the storm created in his room. He pulled himself up close to Merlin and caught the gaze of the hollow golden eyes. "Merlin, get a hold of yourself!" he bellowed.

Merlin felt himself pulled into his body for a second when Arthur had embraced him. He shouted something that he couldn't hear. Merlin began to slip away again, but then, Arthur leaned forward. The wind did not cease, but he grew deaf to the howls of the wind, the images left him, and the world was muted. Arthur whispered into his ear, too loud to be possible for a whisper, but his voice echoed in the silent storm. "Come back to me." He pressed his lips to his. A second later, the wind slowed and things dropped back to the floor. Merlin's eyes returned to their original bright blue. He kissed him back.

Arthur had meant to pull Merlin back and nothing else, but when he kissed him, he felt a powerful and dark lust overcome him. He slanted his mouth over Merlin's and felt Merlin push his lips closer. It had worked! Now, he couldn't stop. He slipped his tongue between his lips, where it mingled with Merlin's. He explored the deep, hot recesses of his mouth, while his hands rediscovered every tight muscle of Merlin's body.

Merlin had expected to be exhausted from his magical exersion, but instead, Arthur's lips against his and the scent of Arthur seized him in a powerful passion. His magic flared, but it was different than the uncontrolled, raging power that had nearly demolished the entire room. It was feral, driven by his burning lust, and triggered by instinct. And while the cause for his wild magic was the concoction Uther had given him, it did not burst out of him as the first bout of magic had, instead, it saturated the air in the room with a heady haze like a shadowing fog rolling over the earth. The temperature of the room felt considerably hotter, only adding to their excitement as they explored every fraction of each other that they could while still clothed.

"I can't take it anymore, this-" Arthur breathed, tugging at Merlin's shirt, "needs to come off." With that, he ripped the shirt over Merlin's head. He placed a kiss on Merlin's lips, another on his neck, then he trailed one of his hands down the center of Merlin's torso being deliberately agonizing. Merlin grabbed Arthur wrist and stopped it in its lurid path. He looked up at Merlin curiously.

"This isn't very fair. Why are you still entirely dressed? I only get to see you when I can sneak past Gaius. I need something for the time when we can't meet."

"Fine," Arthur said with a devilish smile. "You have your shirt off, I'll take mine off." He pulled his shirt off quickly and tossed it to the floor. Then, he moved his hand back to where it was and completed the trail down to the edge of his pants. He moved to take his pants off of him. Merlin stepped back a little.

"Well, there it is again. I would be more clothed than you." Merlin strained to keep a serious face, but he was enjoying the game too much.

"So you don't want me to wear pants either?" Arthur was quickly catching on. He hooked his fingers in the edge of his pants but then paused. "Actually, I think we might look silly wearing almost nothing but boots." They both looked towards there booted feet on the floor.

"Boots off then," Merlin declared. It was sort of comical in a way. Merlin pulled off his right boot first, then looked up at Arthur to watch him take one of his boots off. He pulled off the other one, and Arthur copied. They stood up straight, and Arthur gave him an amused look, which led to laughter at the absurdity of the game they were playing.

Arthur resumed the removal of his breeches in a ridiculously slow manner. He was still laughing when Arthur bent down to pull the pants off Merlin. It was actually the first time that he had ever undressed Merlin. He stood back up to come face to face with Merlin. They kissed again and again before the lust drove itself back into the atmosphere.

Arthur glanced over at the place where the bed had once been. It was now in several pieces about the room.

"I wish we still had a bed. I don't even know what I'm going to do about all this." The brow of Arthur's forehead furrowed in nearly frustrated worry.

"I could probably fix it," Merlin offered. He raised his hand, prepared to say the spell he figured could repair the bed, but hesitated. He wasn't sure why his magic had turned against him. There would be nothing he could do if it decided to do it again, and perhaps, trying to do magic would start it up again. The thoughts screamed through his mind in only a brief time, but it was very clear that even if it did happen again, he wouldn't know unless he tried. He couldn't live in fear of a part of himself forever_. "Restituo supellex supellectilis"_

The splintered wood, the tattered sheets, and the chunks of mattress sped across the room, gathering where the spot where the bed had been. They fit back together, mending themselves until there was a very luxurious bed that was once again, fit for a prince.

Arthur let out a small sound of awe before grabbing Merlin by the arms and throwing him onto the restored bed. Merlin gasped but quickly forgot the roughness of it when the prince lowered himself onto him. He could feel how hard he was with his erection pressed up against his leg. It only excited him more.

Arthur could feel the dark and powerful aura that swirled around Merlin. He allowed that all-consuming darkness penetrate him as he gave in to Merlin. It was the first time that he had ever seen Merlin as the potent sorcerer that he was. He had always been the crowned prince of Camelot, who deserved respect and obedience, but that night, he recognized that perhaps the one who was really in control was the sorcerer who devoted his life to protecting it. But now, Merlin was losing that control to the corruption of his own magic. All magic was evil, but Merlin wasn't. Camelot might not survive without Merlin's protection. He needed to regain his control.

What he really needed was a vacation.

They laid together, like they slept in the dip of a crescent moon. Arthur had his arms around Merlin, keeping him close while his mind refused to rest. It would have been so simple if he were anyone else, but the fact was that he was Arthur Pendragon, his father was Uther Pendragon, and his father would kill Merlin if he discovered who he really was. The importance of their secret was strong enough to begin with, but if Merlin's magic was out of control, the situation seemed hopeless. And his father suspected. Things were starting to go very very far downhill.

If his father found out, he would have Merlin executed and probably disown Arthur. But, if Merlin left, and he told his father before he found out on his own, things would be fine.

Things would have to be fine.


	4. Chapter 4

I have been struggling to get down to writing anything. I expect to get as much of my stories out as possible before school goes back, but no promises. This is a short chapter, but it is important to complete the main conflict in the story. I may have mentioned it before, but this is not a long story. At the same time, I do hope to get at least one or two more Arthur/Merlin scenes before its over.

In the last chapter, the potion that the witchfinder had given to Uther was drank by Merlin. Merlin and Arthur were alone together when the effects of the potion sent his magic spiraling out of control. They are the only two who know what really happened that night. Hope you like this little chapter. I'll try to write the next one sooner. :)

**Aer**

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Merlin's eyes traveled over Arthur's backside, pausing momentarily on the perfect ass that his breeches clung to mercilessly. _How did I get this lucky?_ he thought.

All those years, he had been looking for a pretty girl to fall in love with and marry, but it wasn't until he had come to Camelot and discovered Arthur. Everything changed after that. Arthur had become the center of his focus. It wasn't entirely his fault though. He had no interest in someone who could be such a prat, but then he saved his life and was positioned as his servant. Now, the dragon insisted that he step up to protect him, and somewhere between being with him all the time and continuously saving his life, Merlin had fallen for the prince.

He had been content just taking care of him and watching from a far, but some force in the world gave him the chance for things to go farther with the future King of Camelot. They spent all their time together, joining their two powers, the power of royalty and Merlin's magic, to protect and save Camelot from everything that threatened to destroy it.

Now, he was the threat.

It was his responsibility to protect Camelot, including from himself.

Arthur could feel Merlin's gaze trailing over him from behind. He knew that if he turned around he would see Merlin with a dark, smoldering look in his eyes. He wheeled around and had only a moment to see that Merlin's eyes where not smoldering but thoughtful, determined on something that captured his mind, before there was a knock on the door. He left Merlin standing were he was to answer their unexpected guest. The guest in question was Uther.

Uther searched the room behind Arthur with his eyes. He considered Merlin then motioned with his hand to have Arthur join him out in the corridor.

He squeezed around Uther, who was hesitated to remove his lock on Merlin until his had shut the door, blocking him from the conversation.

"The other day, I asked you to keep an eye on your servant."

"Yes sir, " Arthur replied immediately.

"So, has there been an odd behavior? Any unexplained occurrences?" Uther chose his words carefully. He didn't want his son suspecting that he might have a hand in whatever effect the potion could have caused.

Arthur thought back on the explosion of magic that had come from Merlin the previous night. Uther knew that something had happened, but how could he have? Unless he might have had something to do with it, which would explain why Merlin's magic had been completely uncontrolled. But, how had he done it? He would have to find out somehow. He had to keep Uther in the dark about what had happened. If he didn't say anything, maybe he would stop suspecting Merlin.

"No, nothing of the sort. Merlin took care of his duties, then went home. Nothing different than any other night."

Uther's hands clenched at his sides. At first Arthur was worried that he knew he had been lying, but then he took a deep breath in and simply said, "So, Merlin is not a danger."

It wasn't a question, but Arthur answered anyway. "No, Merlin is just Merlin."

"That's good." Then without another word, Uther turned on his heel and left Arthur alone in the corridor with his thoughts.

Uther was fuming from the moment Arthur told him that the servant boy had not exploded in a flurry of uncontrolled magic and still as his knocked loudly on the door of the witchfinder's home. There was a frustratingly long wait before the door was answered.

Uther took one look at the scarred face of the witchfinder before bursting from his anger. "You! You tried to cheat me out of my money! Merlin isn't the sorcerer! You had me give some ridiculously expensive vial probably just filled with water to some servant boy! I want to be compensated for the troubles you have caused me!"

"There are no refunds. Merlin is a sorcerer and the most dangerous of sorts. Just because he can keep it secret, does not make me a liar. It makes you blind, Uther. You have always been blind. There are more secrets than just the one, which I revealed to you. If you knew what I discovered about the servant, you would not doubt me."

"Is this some scam to get me to waste more of my gold? There is likely no other secret. Do not take me for a fool. Perhaps, I had fallen for your first trick, but no more. I demand you return what I have paid you."

"I will not return the money. Unless, you would like your foolishness to become public knowledge."

Uther was stumped with that. The dirty snake was blackmailing him! He turned and left unbelievably more angry than he had arrived.

The witchfinder closed the door after the King left. If he had told him about Arthur and Merlin's secret affairs, he would have understood the seriousness of the situation, but as things were, it was no longer his problem.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I had the first paragraph of this chapter written for a while, but I worked on it when I went away for vacation and finally finished it.

Last chapter included a lovestruck Merlin, a worried Arthur, and an enraged Uther. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I had a lot of fun writing this one. :)

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**Occidens**

Arthur sat on the stone steps, wrists resting on his knees and head down. The sun was hot, almost burning on his skin. He closed his eyes but the sun's brightness could not be ignored. He had always loved the daytime, it was when everyone was out and about doing something, but lately, he despised how easy it was to see in the daylight. It was only in the night that Merlin and he could be together, but then, it was only at night when their secret love could be hidden under the covers of the darkness.

Around to the other side of the castle, a bell tolled. At this moment, an innocent man was walking up to gallows. Arthur had tried to persuade his father to give the man a chance to prove that he was good, but the crime he committed was one that had been instilled in him by his parents. He was a sorcerer. No...he knew magic. There was no proof that he had done anything evil with it, but his father was a blind man. Arthur knew that his father was unreasonable sometimes, but Merlin was living evidence of the possibility of magic and goodness.

Arthur watched as two men scurried past. He could hear them talking about the execution.

"I heard that it was Kendrik."

"Kendrik, a sorcerer? I thought he was a good man, too."

"They never seem evil, but magic, it takes over."

He had enough. He stood up and went back inside. Where it was cool and dark and reminded him of Merlin. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he passed right by Morgana.

Morgana, insulted by his rudeness called, "Ignoring me, now?"

Arthur stopped and rotated on his heel. "No. Hello, Morgana." He turned to leave again.

"You're impossible. Hey, Merlin." Arthur's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head to find Merlin walking up to him. He took in his goofy grin and bright eyes. Could there be anything more beautiful?

"Hi, Morgana. How are you, today?" He asked pleasantly.

"I was fine, until Arthur was so rude to me." She smiled for a second but it disappeared a moment later when she noticed that Arthur was staring at Merlin.

"Arthur?" she inquired.

Arthur moved his attention back to Morgana. "Yes?"

"You are so odd lately, Arthur."

Merlin spoke before he could reply, "It's the execution. Uther wouldn't listen to him."

"Oh. You know you're very inconsistent. Sometimes, you don't care and insist that the man was a sorcerer and deserves his fate for breaking the law. Other times, you try to persuade Uther to bend the law. I wonder, what makes you chance your mind so fervently?"

Merlin gave him a significant look that Morgana missed because she was transfixed on Arthur. Arthur caught the look but said, "Sometimes, there isn't anything that can be done. Actually," he paused, "Nothing ever changes around here. Uther only sees criminals and enemies."

Morgana nodded cautiously. Arthur never spoke heresy against his father! "It's true. I don't know why anyone who practices magic even bothers trying to live here. If he finds out, even if it was never used for evil, he will execute immediately."

Arthur suddenly became expressionless. "Well, this has been a riveting conversation. I have things to attend to, so I'll be going. See you, Morgana. Come on, Merlin." He grabbed a fold in Merlin's shirt and yanked lightly.

"Have a nice day, Morgana." Merlin said quickly as he followed Arthur up the stairs to his prince's chambers.

Arthur let Merlin in and shut the door behind him. "God dammit!" He kicked the door in rage. He pushed his hands threw his hair as he turned to Merlin. "She's right."

"Arthur, what's going on?" It was clear that something had been bothering him ever since Uther had spoken to him. He had been trying to think of some way to bring it back up, but apparently, it wasn't necessary.

"He suspected you."

Merlin traced his eyes up to the ceiling and back slightly frustrated with Arthur's unhelpful reply. "You told me that already, but I thought you said you took care of that."

"I did, but that won't change anything. One slip and he will have you executed. Not to mention the glitches in your magic that have been happening. It's getting too close." Arthur brought his hand up to his mouth and breathed in deeply. "It would be better if he would just die already."

Merlin had not expected him to snap like that. It was true that his magic had been glitching at some of the worst times. He supposed it was from not using it often enough, but he was trying to use it for small tasks, attempting to keep it under control. Arthur shouldn't have to worry about him when he should be focusing on his duties as a prince. "Maybe it would be, but Arthur, he isn't going anywhere. Which is why," Merlin paused to prepare himself to say what had been plaguing his mind ever since his magic had escaped him and trashed Arthur's chambers. Something that he should have said the moment he made the connection between his 'dreams' and the mysterious attacks. "Which is why I've decided to leave."

Arthur gaped at him, trying to process what he had said. He couldn't imagine Camelot without Merlin. No, he couldn't let him leave. "Merlin-"

"Just for a while. I could practice in the open, and maybe get this magic-thing under control."

"Merlin-"

"I might even join the druids. Have them help me develop my magic."

"Merlin-"

"And it-"

"Merlin!" Somewhere between the word 'magic' and 'control' Arthur changed his mind. He wouldn't let Merlin leave him, but he couldn't stay either. "You aren't leaving alone."

Merlin's cheeks flushed at the thought of running away with Arthur, but he shook his head to clear that thought from his mind. "You can't just leave. You have responsibilities to your kingdom. You'll lose your crown."

"I don't care. Listen its like you said, it would just be for awhile. We can come back. I'll spin some story for my father, and we could leave for as long as you need. And besides, " Arthur leaned forward to whisper into Merlin's ear, "magic isn't the only secret we wouldn't have to worry about anymore."

The heat returned his Merlin's cheeks. He damned his fair skin as he tried to shake it off again. Arthur didn't help when he dipped his head to brush his lips at the top of his neck. He brought his hands up and undid the scarf-thing that Merlin always wore, exposing his neck and the section of his chest that the scarf had covered.

Merlin wanted to push Arthur off of him and try to convince him that leaving Camelot was a bad idea, but he had kissed all along his neck and began moving lower, flicking his tongue to taste the skin on his chest and down to his stomach. He placed his hands on Arthur's broad shoulders and pushed, but instead of yelling at him, Arthur grabbed hold of Merlin's wrist and pulled him down on top on of him. Their lips met and in that instant, Merlin forgot why he wanted to push him away completely. Arthur hooked his leg around the backs of Merlin's knees and flipped him so he was on top of Merlin.

Merlin frantically worked to undo the buttons of Arthur's shirt while he continued to kiss every inch of Merlin that he could reach. He couldn't manage to undo the shirt, but when Arthur began tracing a straight line down his throat with the tip of his tongue, he simply ripped the shirt open. Arthur continued to trace the line over Merlin's chest and abdomen, traveling lower still. He always knew how to drive him crazy.

Merlin writhed beneath him and spread his legs allowing Arthur to get even closer. He raised his hips as Arthur ran his hands over them. Then Arthur pushed below Merlin's breeches and took him into his mouth.

Waves of pleasure shot through his body, and he rolled his hips upwards to push deeper into Arthur's mouth. Arthur played is tongue over the head of Merlin's cock, driving him nearly to orgasm, but pulling back slightly to tease him further.

Merlin squirmed and tried to penetrate the deeper recesses of his mouth, but Arthur brought his head back. He grazed his teeth gently over the shaft bringing Melrin to that sweet precipiece just before the leap into unbelievable bliss. He hung onto that ledge for awhile before toppling over and releasing himself into Arthur.

After they made love, they laid with their bodies pressed together too close for even a breath of air to brush between them. Merlin lay awake, wanting to tell Arthur that he couldn't go with him, but when he thought of the agony he would feel from being miles apart indefinitely, he knew he wouldn't be very convincing in his argument.

So, Merlin said nothing, and in the morning, Arthur would prepare the story for his father.

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Please review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is the second last chapter for this story. The last one is more of a elongated epilogue as it shoots into the future a year or so. Generally, everything is resolved, the only thing left to do is bring them back to Camelot, and I have an interesting little addition to their return, which I think most of you will enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

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Anathole**

Merlin had followed Arthur into the throne room and now watched as he quietly discussed with his father his plans to leave Camelot.

The story was that he intended to travel on a pilgrimage to meet with the royal families and nobility of allying kingdoms of Camelot.

Merlin grew more worried as time passed and the murmur of Arthur's voice seemed to become more desperate. Finally, Arthur made a swift downward motion of his head to Uther and strut out of the door. Merlin followed his anxiously to hear what the king had said.

The moment the door closed behind Merlin, Arthur glanced in all directions and upon discovering that no one was watching, pulled Merlin into a deep kiss.

When Arthur pulled back, Merlin had to take a moment to recover before he could ask, "So what did he say?"

"Yes, he thinks it's a great idea. He said it will aid in upholding our allies even when the throne passes to me."

Merlin beamed up at him. He'll be able to get away from the kingdom and focus on his magic. Also, he and Arthur would have all the time in the world to be together without having to worry about keeping their relationship secret. Best of all, Arthur would still return to Camelot to become the next King.

Arthur chose a white mare with powerful legs and unswerving loyalty for the trip. He selected the second best black stallion for Merlin to ride. With their things packed, the only thing they had to do before leaving was to say their 'good-bye's.

Uther gave his blessings, Gaius wished Merlin the best of luck, only Guinevere and Morgana waited in front of the castle watching Merlin prepare and load the horses.

"How long do you expect you'll be gone?" asked Morgana.

"No idea. If we visit each kingdom for a month's time, we may only be gone a year, but we might stay away longer."

Morgana frowned slightly. "Why must you even leave?"

"Morgana, I am shocked. If I didn't know any better, I say you don't seem to want me to go," Arthur teased.

"It doesn't matter to me if you leave or not. Its only that Camelot has a tendency to be attacked and honestly, you seem to have been protecting it the most."

"Camelot will be fine. I've placed Sir Caridoc in charge of the knights. He is a very strong leader, and I'm sure he will protect Camelot nearly as well as I do." Arthur smiled his assurance.

"Yes, I'm sure, but what about...never mind. I will see you when you return."

"What were you going to say?"

"Nothing. Never mind it," she said, trying to avoid saying her thought aloud, but clearly wanted to be asked again.

"Morgana-"

"It's just that there are more things that need protecting other than from enemies."

The corners of Arthur's lips turned downward in a frown. "I don't understand what you mean."

Morgana's eyes shifted about, she stepped closer, so she could lower her voice. "Uther." She didn't have to say anything else. Her meaning was clear.

Arthur opened his mouth and closed it again. Everyone watched him carefully as he tried to find something to say. Finally, he straightened his back and very confidently answered. "Morgana, I don't have nearly as much influence as you think. If Uther has a lapse in his judgment, I am sure he would listen to his ward more than he would ever listen to me. Now, Merlin has finished preparing the horses, and I would like to find a place to set up camp before nightfall."

With that, Arthur stretched out his hand, but Morgana ignored it, instead rushed inward to wrap her arms around him. He stumbled backwards a little, but lifted his arms around her. They embraced a moment longer before Morgana let go, a blush simmering across her fair cheeks.

"I will of course write whenever I can."

"I should hope so. Well, you should go."

Guinevere ran forwards to give Merlin a quick, friendly good-bye hug. A moment later, they were mounting their horses and riding out the gates of Camelot.

They tracked the druids' path for three weeks, stopping in at the villages to listen for any rumor of the druids passing through. They followed the trail of the campsites the nomads had deserted, and sometimes finding themselves lost without a trace of the druids, until they would stumble across an old fire pit or some item left behind. When they finally closed in on the current location of the druids, they were tired, hungry, and sore from being upon their horses for so long.

Arthur approached a druid man who was wandering on the outskirts of the campsite.

"Hello, I am Arthur Pendragon and this is Merlin."

"I know who you are. What business do you have here?"

Merlin spoke before Arthur could answer. "I'm looking for someone to help me with a problem."

The man stared directly into Merlin's eyes as though reading the contents of his mind. Merlin wanted the druid to understand what it was that he wanted, so he kept his gaze.

"There is someone who could help you. Our eldest, Sandeppen. He is a mage with much experience and wisdom. He is under the tent over that way."

Merlin nodded solemnly and headed for the tent that the man had pointed to. Arthur kept a step or two behind him. Arthur was clearly not as welcome here as Merlin was. Given his father's tyranny, it was understandable.

"Hello?" He spoke to the tent to announce his arrival.

"Come inside," answered a voice from the tent.

Merlin lifted the flap of the tent and ducked under. Arthur decided to wait outside for Merlin.

The inside of the tent seemed slightly larger from the inside than it had out. There was a bundle of blankets in the far corner, two pillows sat on either side of the tent, and between them lay a circle of small stones with a book open in the center. The wiseman sat upon one of the pillows and looked up expectantly at Merlin.

"Sit, please," said the man, motioning towards one of the pillows. Merlin fell onto the pillow and opened his mouth to speak, but the man spoke first. "I know why you are here, Emrys."

Merlin recognized the name that the druids had given him. He never knew what they exactly knew about him, but he assumed that they knew things that he didn't know about himself. Whatever they knew, they never told him, and he decided that he didn't care either way. He had more important problems on his mind, his magic for one.

The mage leaned over his book and began to read it aloud,

"_Sanctus Terra ostendo mihi vox ut est vestri__."_

Immediately, one of the stones making up the circle began to shine with a bright white light. Merlin stared entranced as it turned into a gem. The mage picked it up and extended his hand to Merlin. He took the stone in his hands and turned it over again and again. It was such a beautiful gem.

The mage began to explain, "It is very valuable, not just in terms of money, but in its magical properties. It is priceless. I would not give this to anyone, but you Merlin, you have a great destiny. The role that you play now and in the future is one that cannot easily be matched. But, you're magic is consuming you. Magic is like a wild beast it is not something that can be used whenever or however you feel. It is a element of nature like the wind or the sea. If allowed to move freely, it could flow like a river or a fresh breeze, but if it has to fight its way out it could become a storm. This stone will help your magic to not have to fight. The stone will channel the magic out into the earth, where it can join the universe and not need to break free from your control. If you ever need to use the magic, it will still be there. You must carry it with you wherever you go. Keep it close and your magic will be yours once again."

"Thank you, if you need anything, anything at all..."

"Actually, " the mage smiled, "I don't need anything, but Laedleigh, who was the man who led you to me, may need some help with the gathering of supplies."

"Of course, you have no idea how much you've helped me." Merlin was extremely grateful and allowed his excitement at receiving the gem to bubble out of him.

Arthur stood outside the tent for only a few minutes before a grinning Merlin emerged.

"Look at this," he said, lifting up his hand to Arthur. Inside it was a shining quartz the size of an acorn. "The mage says it will help control the flow of my magic, but I have to keep it with me at all times."

Arthur picked it up and held it between his forefinger and thumb to examine it. "This great, Merlin. Perhaps, we will attach it to a thread and string it around your neck. Just hope you're never robbed."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I told him we'd help the man we met on our way in to gather some supplies."

Arthur's smile slipped a little. Merlin, remembering that he was the servant and Arthur was a prince, spoke up. "I mean, I told him I would, so you can just do whatever while I'm doing that."

Arthur's smile returned, with a look of amusement. "Merlin, I don't mind. These druid's have helped you, and I would be glad to do something to thank them."

Merlin's jaw dropped, but Arthur just laughed. "I am capable of doing work, you know."

The look of shock fell away as Merlin gave the prince an easy smile.

That night, after they helped Laedleigh to gather food, water, and firewood, they made camp under a copse of trees along the edge of a clearing. Laying in the grass in the middle of the clearing, they made love under the stars. Arthur driving into him consuming him, and all he could feel and all he could smell was Arthur. Merlin's magic was seeping out, keeping them warm against the light breeze that rolled through the clearing. Enveloping Arthur in a feeling of pleasure and comfort, like he was finally home. As one, they came time and time again until they were spent, and they laid next to each other entangled, staring at the stars. They were not speaking, not moving, they didn't have to, because they both knew that this was exactly what they needed, exactly what they wanted...each other.

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I'd really like some feedback before I completely wrap up this story. Review please! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: I am doing some mental celebration right now, because this is the very last thing that I wanted to write for Consumption. After everything, its finally done. I have officially wrapped up this story. I hope that you have enjoyed it, because besides the times when I wanted to write but was too busy, I've enjoyed writing it. So, I'll leave it with that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (or Arthur, or Uther, or Morgana)

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**Meridle Quod Aquilo**

A few years had passed since Arthur and Merlin had left Camelot. They had come to rest in the kingdom of Ilyad. Merlin went home ahead of Arthur, who was in yet another meeting with King of Ilyad He attended the banquets and counsels, and Merlin followed him around all day as his servant, but he always walked home earlier in the day to leave Arthur to his masquerade. He spruced up their little upper town cottage, and gathered the ingredients for dinner but like every other day he did not cook until Arthur came home. Arthur insisted on helping him cook dinner. It was his idea to help with dinner as a sort of sign that he didn't see Merlin as just a servant any longer, but he was still the prat he always was when it came to the cleaning. It was their unspoken compromise.

They had chosen Ilyad as their home because it was far enough away from Camelot that they didn't need to worry about Uther finding them, and their secret was safe here. They were given the cottage as a gift when Arthur refused against the guest room in the castle, so they were able to be servant and prince by day and secret lovers by night.

They sometimes wanted to go return to Camelot. Arthur missed Morgana, Merlin often thought of Giaus, but most of all, they missed those times when the fate of Camelot lay in their hands, when they would team up to protect Camelot from the thousands of enemies that threatened them. They had built a life there. They even owned a golden retriever that Merlin insisted on getting and naming Gwaine, but it was too quiet, too simple...too perfect. This fairytale couldn't go on forever. Someday they would have to return to Camelot and Arthur would have to go back to being a prince and Merlin, his servant.

Arthur sometimes joked that the lack of adventure was turning them into an old married couple, but no matter how much they missed Camelot, they just couldn't bring themselves to leave their new life and their very happy home.

Merlin lay with his head nestled in the crook of Arthur's arm and a hand playing over the thin, sparse, blond hairs of him chest. They did this often, just lie together practically worshipping on another. It still amazing him that he could be so lucky as to have Arthur with him. Gwaine sat next to the bed with his snout resting on the covers, attempting to nudge Arthur and whining to be let outside.

"Merlin, could you let out that noisy mutt. He's driving me out of my mind." A second later, the bedroom door and the front door swung open and they watched Gwaine pad through the den area and out into the night.

Outside, a nervous messenger strode past a golden retriever with its leg lifted over a shrub and approached the cottage that stood with its front door wide open. He knocked on the door frame out of courtesy and waited to be greeted by a dark haired servant boy wearing a robe.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He flexed out his palm from under the sleeve of the robe prepared to use his magic if need be. Strangers calling in the middle of the night could not be trusted.

"I have an urgent message from the Lady Morgana, from Camelot. Is Arthur home?" Just then, Arthur stepped out into view looking very confused and worried. The messenger handed him the scroll of parchment from his hand.

Arthur took it and read it with fervour, Merlin keep his gaze locked on the messenger. "How did you know he would be here?" Strangers calling in the middle of the night could not be trusted.

The messenger smiled, "Everyone knows that Prince Arthur comes here every night, it's not exactly a secret." Merlin gaped at him, but had to turn his attention to Arthur when he spoke, clearly oblivious to the conversation.

"She asks me to return to Camelot immediately. Something's happened, but she didn't say what. It must be important if she sent a message this far without any explanation."

"So, we're going back?" Merlin was unsure if whether this was a good thing or not. Arthur seemed to feel the same confusion because his face was caught in a limbo between his grim frown and his bright eyes with the excitement of adventure glowing behind them

"Yeah, we are."

Prince Edwin had always expected this day would come. Camelot was home for Prince Arthur and his servant Merlin, and while he tried to make Ilyad somewhere for them to live peacefully but nothing could make them stay. He found it difficult to look Arthur in the eyes when he walked through the doors, he had become great friends with the Prince and didn`t want to watch him go.

Arthur stopped for a moment to speak with the King, who wished him the best of luck, then Arthur approached him to say his good-byes.

Edwin, I can only hope that we will meet again someday.

Prince Edwin nodded without smiling.

You will be an excellent King one day. Training with you has been a real pleasure, and I expect that when we both hold the thrones of our kingdoms, they will we united.

That is good to hear. It seemed to release some of the pressure that had been building in his chest. And you will always be welcome in Ilyad, Merlin as well.

Then, we shall return. Arthur extended a hand to Edwin, but it was disregarded as he lifted his arms. They met in the middle with a hug that only the best of friends know.

Merlin tied the horses to a nearby tree, made a fire, and set up a tent. Arthur watched his servant run around trying to get everything done before dark. "Merlin, you`d think that with you having magic and all, you might actually use it sometimes."

Merlin grimaced, but said nothing. Arthur gave him an exasperated look. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Merlin shook his head and smiled, but Arthur laughed in amazement. "The whole point of us leaving Camelot was to help you gain control of your powers, and you forget that you even have them."

"I guess old habits die hard. I've gotten used to pretending to be normal."

They both gave a light-hearted laugh, and Arthur remembered, for the umpteenth time that day, why he had fallen for Merlin in the first place.

Their laughter was interrupted by a barking. Arthur immediately thought of a large list of possible and impossible things that would be barking in the middle of the woods. He drew his sword.

Suddenly, a large golden blur launched itself out from behind a bush and tackled Merlin. Arthur pushed his sword back into its sheath and laughed. Gwain, their golden retriever, must have followed them. Gwain licked Merlin's face while he tried to push him off without much success. Finally, Arthur wrapped his arm around the dog's middle and pulled him off. Merlin wiped his face on his sleeve.

"I guess he's coming back with us."

"I guess we don't really get a choice. He seems to be pretty good at tracking if he followed us all this way." Arthur scratched behind Gwain's ears in praise. He'd never admit it, but he loved that dog.

"I'm glad we'll have something to bring back with us. I'm going to miss Ilyad. I mean, I've feel like I've always known that we would have to go back but..."

"Oh god Merlin, don't talk about your feelings. I thought we agreed we wouldn't." Arthur exasperated.

"When did we do that," Merlin asked, feeling a little confused.

Arthur laughed at the look on Merlin's face. He said jokingly, "It was more of an unsaid agreement."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed, so Arthur laughed again and placed a short kiss on his lips. "They'll find a cure one day, Merlin."

Merlin gave a nervous laugh, not quite getting the humour yet.

Merlin couldn't see Arthur anywhere. He must have gone on ahead, so he turned toward the empty stone streets. The towers of the castle reached into the grey swirling clouds looming over the kingdom. The silence was eerie. It made him jumpy and suspicious of every corner. He stepped up to the stone steps leading up to the entrance of the castle, but stopped when a dark shadow flew overhead. It was swift and it brought a wind that chilled him. He shivered, but it wasn't due to the cold. There was something here, he felt that it was familiar, but couldn't place when he had felt this before.

He raced up to steps trying to avoid being seen by whatever was out there with him. Inside, the halls were empty and the guards weren't even standing at the entrance. Silence permeated the castle, making Merlin more anxious. He followed the familiar path up to Arthur's chambers, but when he passed the King's chambers, he stopped. The doors were open, inviting him in. He politely knocked twice on the open door before entering but immediately felt as though he were meant to be there.

The room was as empty as the halls except for the man on the bed. The man was very old and very fragile looking. His thin hands folded on his chest and his eyes closed. He was sleeping but clearly too weak to wake.

The shadow from outside darkened the window, Merlin wanted to protect the old man, but he found that he could not move or speak for the shadow engulfed the glass of the window and came into the room. It moved like smoke or water. Darkness hovered along the ceiling of the chamber and the shadow travelled away from the window to stand beside the man on the bed. That's when Merlin finally realized who the shadow was. It was someone he had met and faced on countless occasions when Arthur and he used to fight everyday for the safety of Camelot. It was someone he had been protecting everyone from, and stared into those eyes that were as black as night. It was Death.

Still unable to move, Death leaned over the old man, wrapping him in his shadow and pulling him off the bed towards him. Death embraced the man like an old friend for a moment before he struck. Like a predator finally making the kill on his prey, his head came down and consumed the man until he could not be seen through the darkness. Instantly, the shadow disappeared, the man was back on the bed, but he was no longer sleeping. Merlin knew he was dead.

The room evaporated sending Merlin through the long tunnel to consciousness. He was returned to the tent in the wood, and he lay next to Arthur. He could feel the arms of his lover around him and it was so real that what he had seen before could only have been a dream. He couldn't shake this feeling of the shadow lurking inside him, whispering his worst fears, that it was no dream.

Merlin wandered away from the campsite on the second night, he was tired from the long day of travelling, but there was nothing in the world that could make him fall asleep. He stumbled over the many roots that spread across the forest floor like an intricate spider web. Through the dark, he could only barely see the outline of the trees, but he didn't want to use his magic to create light because he didn't want Arthur to find him if he happened to wake and notice Merlin's absence.

He recalled every detail from the dream, but could find no significant meaning behind it, unless someone was dying in Camelot. This couldn't be though, because Morgana would have told them in her message if someone was dying. He searched his mind for another explanation when he suddenly tripped over a particularly large root and lost his footing. Merlin was launched forward, tumbled down a rather steep ravine, and landed on his back on a large pile of sand. Whatever sand was doing in a forest, he was lucky it was there. He pushed himself into a sitting position to look around. There were no trees around to block out the moonlight, so from here he could see that he had fallen onto a small beach at the edge of the lake. This meant that they were closer to Camelot than they had thought.

He shot up standing and staring at the lake. The center of the lake glowed blue and water rose up in a funnel. He walked towards the phenomenon and the funnel moved towards him. It became close enough that he could see a glowing figure from within the funnel. It parted slightly, revealing the face of a beautiful woman.

"Emrys, you have come."

"Who are you?" he asked the being.

"I am the Lady of the Lake. It is the time," said the woman in her echoing voice.

Merlin was completely awed. "What is it the time for?"

"The sword, Excalibur is ready to be returned to its rightful owner." The sword that Merlin had thrown into the lake long ago rose in the same blue glow and drifted toward him. He reached out and took hold of the sword's handle. The glow disappeared, as well as the Lady of the Lake. The darkness seemed to close in around him.

"_Adustum" _There was a flash of golden in the dark from Merlin's eyes before the darkness retreated from him. Feeling safer out of the darkness, he made his way back to the campsite and the prince.

Arthur immerged from the tent, scratched his blond bed head and yawned. Merlin was missing and he had come out of the tent to look for him. He could see the golden outline of Merlin walking out from the trees. He yelled out to him, "There you are, Merlin."

Merlin ran up to him, pulled him into a quick kiss, and just as abruptly stepped back. "You'll never guess what happened to me." A grin stretched across his face in pure excitement, and he lifted up his hand which held a long sword.

Merlin relayed the story of what had happened to Arthur, and when he finished, he gave him the sword. "It's yours."

Arthur accepted the sword as though he were taking on the responsibility of the entire kingdom. He breathed in deeply and exhaled with his eyes locked on Merlin's. "Excalibur," he said to no one in particular.

He had seen this sword before, but couldn't place when or where. He unsheathed it and turned it over in his hand. It felt like it was made for him. _Until the day I die, _he thought, _I will_ _never yield another sword._

Merlin had not told Arthur about the dream, but he wished that he had when they entered Camelot from the lower village and found the streets just as empty and silent as they had been in the dream. Arthur craned his head around trying to find someone, anyone. They were completely alone.

They followed the stone streets through the upper village and into the front courtyard of the castle. Arthur stopped abruptly. "Merlin, I've just remembered. Today is Lammas day..." Without anymore explanation, Arthur flew up the steps and into the castle, leaving Merlin standing outside the entranceway by himself. Chills ran down Merlin's spine with the familiarity of it all. He slowly made his way up the steps and through the front entrance doors.

He thought for a moment, _if there aren't any guards..._ Then he sighed in relief. Standing on either side of the doors were two armoured guards.

Morgana came down the stairs just then, taking them two at a time, and streamlined straight to Merlin. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't explain enough in my message, but the news is not allowed to leave the kingdom. Uther doesn't want his enemies to know that our defences are down. Merlin, Uther's dying." She said this all much too fast. Merlin felt as though the grey walls of the castle were closing in around him.

_The dream,_ he thought,_ I knew this would happen._

Arthur stood at the foot of the King's bed, looking down at his father's sleeping figure. Morgana had told him a moment before that the King of Camelot, his father and the only family he knew, was dying. His father stirred. He never thought of his father as capable of dying like any other human being. Uther was known for his strength, but he wasn't invincible.

Uther rolled over and slowly pushed himself into a semi-sitting position. He looked into the bright eyes of only son. He had forgotten how much he looked like his mother; it had been so long. "I've missed you."

Arthur looked close to tears, but he didn't dare let his composure slip now, there was too much that needed to be said. Instead he said something that in all that time after leaving Camelot he never expected to say. "I've missed you too, father."

Uther was determined to not be phased by this. So, he did what any dying man would do, he struck up some small talk. "How was your trip?"

Arthur tried to smile, but only the corners of his lips twitched. "It went well. I met with many Kings and became very close with King of Ilyad and his some Prince Edwin."

"That's good. Did you meet any women while you were away?"

Arthur's eyes grew wide for a split second. "No, I did not."

Uther smiled. "I'm sure you'll find someone, but choose carefully because whoever it is, they will be the next Queen of Camelot."

The smile that Arthur had been trying to muster up was now impossible to hold back. "Yes, father."

Uther looked over his son. He was so young, so strong. "You will be a great King, Arthur. It's as though it were your destiny."

Merlin glanced over to the chair in the corner that Arthur had committed to sitting in for the last four hours. He was completely silent and the only movement he made was to bring the glass of amber drink to his lips. Merlin was unpacking their bags, putting everything in its right place, and finding somewhere to put the things they bought while they were away. Gwain was snoozing on the hearth rug in front of the fireplace. Gwain hadn't been very playful since they arrived, and Merlin suspected that maybe the dog could sense that his masters were not in the mood.

"I'm done. I think I'm going to go to bed now. Are you going to be alright?" Merlin said sympathetically.

Arthur didn't say anything. Merlin thought for a moment that he hadn't heard him.

"Arthur?"

"Could you stay?" He asked without looking at him.

Merlin had not expected to stay with him now that they were back in Camelot. He figured that they would go back to the secrecy and the sneaking around. "Yes, of course." Arthur finally looked at him. His sky blue eyes were slightly watery. He looked so broken.

Merlin walked over to him and pulled a chair from the table over so he could sit by him. He wanted to be there, and he didn't mean just physically but metaphorically as well. He would be at his side for as long as he lived.

Over the moor, the trees and the rooftops of the homes of the people of Camelot, rose the sun. Its golden light shining onto every doorway bringing the day in after the night's darkness passed. Rays of the morning sun shone through the window in Uther's chambers. The light slowly moved as the minutes passed before it finally rested onto the King's eyes. While everyone else was giving into the call of the morning, Uther continued to sleep. Behind the veil of his eyelids, Uther's dreams dispersed leaving his mind sheathed in a shade that hovered somewhere between darkness and light. His breathing slowed and the beating of his heart grew quieter and the beats less and less consistent.

In a moment, he was gone.

A bell tolled throughout the kingdom. Its melancholic sound penetrated every wall, and sent the message of death to all. Arthur sat up in his bed. The fog clung to his mind. A bell was ringing and he didn't know why. He hadn't remembered going to bed last night, but somehow he was there. He noticed that Merlin lay next to him over the covers and completely clothed, like he had passed out from exhaustion. He remembered drinking and sitting with Merlin, but why was that damn bell so loud!

Understanding swept through him springing him up from the bed and racing down the halls. He ran through the open doorway to his father's chambers. People were standing around solemnly. A servant stood at the side of the bed and was pulling a white sheet over his head. That's when Arthur's emotions took hold. It felt as though his heart were trying to rip through his chest. The tears fell quick and heavy. Suddenly, he felt arms around him, comforting, and trying to keep him from falling over. The pain was overwhelming. He made no sound, but his body shook uncontrollably. Merlin couldn't do anything else, but hold him and hope that it would be enough.

Arthur stared out at the crowds that stood expectantly below him. His father's crown weighed heavily upon his head, but he had decided that he would proudly carry that burden. When he spoke, he spoke to the whole of Camelot. He spoke of a new age for Camelot, of change, freedom and prosperity. He spoke of the kingdom's destiny for greatness. He told them his vision of uniting all of Albion, and of turning foe into friend.

"This is the day when we end our hatred and focus on bringing forth this new era. There is no fight to be fought when it comes to magic, thus I revoke the ban against magic." The people of Camelot could now see what their new King envisioned in his mind. A place of freedom and peace, that's what Camelot would become

...a legend.

Merlin pulled the blanket over the bed and moved around to straighten out the corners. The door to the King's chambers opened and the sound of heavy boots told him that it was Arthur who had come in.

"You don't have to do that anymore." Arthur's voice said from behind him.

Merlin turned to see Arthur's face and whether he was kidding or not. It didn't look like he was. "Why is that?"

"Because I am promoting you."

"What?" Merlin had never thought he would here those words. What could he be promoting him to?

"Well, now that I'm King, I couldn't have you continue to be my manservant, so I'm promoting you to the position of being my advisor."

Merlin's face was a mixture of shock and excitement. He could barely believe it.

"I figure that you must be smarter than you let on, and you've never really given me bad advice before."

Merlin rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop smiling.

"Besides, I'm going to need someone to stick around when I fail."

"Arthur, I'll stand by you, always."

Arthur's eyes searched Merlin's for a moment. "Well Merlin, you're going to need to sit down for what I'm about to do to you."

* * *

A/N: for anyone who's wondering: for that last line, think dirty.

Thank you everyone for your reviews and your time and definitely your patience. Special thanks to all of those responsible for creating Merlin.


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